Stories; Storytelling

“It is true,” announced R. Leib, “that according to the law the plaintiff must take his suit to the defendant’s locale; but since in this case ‘there is no place devoid of His presence,’ we will try the case here in Shpoli . . .”

One Friday afternoon, a man knocked on the door of Rabbi Yizchak Aizik, rabbi of Vitebsk. “I have a din Torah (a matter of litigation),” he said. “I request that you hear my case . . .”

The entire town would be paying attention to the new rabbi’s first ruling. Everyone was sure to wonder: Why is the law of the Torah so opposite to common sense?

"Under a tree? Very good!" cried out Rabbi Chaim excitedly. "Go and summon that tree as a witness"

The Rabbi found it hard to believe that Anschel Moses might be a thief. Perhaps he had merely borrowed the money...

Rabbi Shmuel was very careful in keeping the accounts of the free-loan fund, marking every transaction carefully in his books...

It was a drastic move, but they felt they had no choice. They fasted and recited Psalms all day. Evoking ancient Kabbalistic formulas, they asked to be given a sign that night in their dreams.

That's the profit from the sale of a calf in the marketplace of the White Russian town of Lubavitch

I returned to my compartment in a state of confusion. The last thing I had expected from the Rebbe was a business tip

The Baal Shem Tov helps a would-be thief repent.